[NEWS] Crashcourse in Virtues

Stratics VeteranAlumni

Since the Stygian Abyss Expansion is going to be brought in with a series of Events surrounding the Virtues I figured its bout time to get you all into the hype.

First of all here is some basic Info about the virtues:
The Ultima series featured a Virtue system that the player was required to follow in the game as the Avatar. These Virtues were inspired in part by the codes of chivalry and the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, and were created specifically for Ultima.

Strangely enough, The Wizard of Oz also played a part in the creation of the virtues, with designer Richard Garriott stating at one time that the three companions of Dorothy Gale could be linked to the three principles — Scarecrow (Truth), Tin Woodsman (Love) and Cowardly Lion (Courage). This is also alluded to in Ultima VI and Ultima VII, where one can find a copy of the book - the description blurb the game gives alludes to this relationship as well. Lord British claims it is his favorite book.

The Eight Virtues explored in Ultima are based on Three Principles:

Truth
Lycaeum
Book of Truth

Love
Empath Abbey
Candle of Love

Courage
Serpent's Hold
Bell of Courage
These Principles are themselves derived from the Axiom of Infinity, which is represented in Castle Britannia.

The Eight Virtues
The Principles are combined to form the following Eight Virtues:

Virtue: Humility
Principles: Truth, Love, and Courage independently
Towns associated: New Magincia²
Mantra: Lum
Player Class: Shepherd
Dungeon: Doom (Hythloth in U9)
Color: Black
Symbol: Shepherd staff
Word of Power: Veramocor
Notes:
1. Britain is the original town of Compassion, Cove is nearest the shrine.
2. Magincia was destroyed by demons for its Pride (Pride's mantra is Mul, the reverse of Humility's mantra). New Magincia, built in its ruins, was founded on Humility.

The Embodiment of the Virtues in the game is the Avatar, the character who the player is roleplaying. He (or she) is commonly seen with an Ankh which represents life.
The relationship between the Principles and Virtues is often explained this way:
Honesty is respect for Truth
Compassion is Love of others
Valor is Courage to stand up against risks
Justice is Truth, tempered by Love
Sacrifice is Courage to give oneself in name of Love
Honor is Courage to seek and uphold the Truth
Spirituality is to seek Truth, Love and Courage from one's own self and the world around
Humility is the opposite of Pride - the absence of Truth, Love or Courage
Humility is the most difficult Virtue to describe, as it cannot really be understood without its Anti-Virtue, Pride. Pride merely has nothing to do with Truth, Love and Courage; Humility is similar, but rather than being a complete antithesis, it exists independently of the Principles and acts as their foundation.
The ghosts of New Magincia also have a few things to say about Humility and pride, from which the following may be constructed:
Humility: The absence of Truth, Love, and Courage is Pride. Pride is the surest measure of goals never attained. Pride goeth before, Shame cometh after. This Shame leads to awareness of Humility, the root from which all Virtues grow. Humility is to strip oneself of all conceits.

The Principles of the Shadowlords
In Ultima V, each of the Shadowlords opposed one of the three Principles.

Stratics VeteranAlumni

Gargoyles are an intelligent and sentient race which superficially resemble Daemons. They possess their own language, runic system and architecture. Gargoyles come in two forms. The bigger, winged ones have a high intellect, magic powers and strong build. The wingless ones are not as smart and smaller, but make up for this with more muscles. Gargoyles are socially much like humans, in that you can get the good with the bad. The winged are seen as superior to the unwinged, who are viewed as children in need of guidance.
Only one capable of flight was able to visit the Shrine of Singularity.

The Gargoyles originally lived in the Underworld. Now they live on the Isle of Terfin, with smaller populations scattered all over Britannia (notably in Vesper). Gargoyles can also be found on Serpent Isle, where they are ruled by Lord Zhelkas.

While never fully explained, it is implied that gargoyles have only one gender and reproduce asexually. For example gargoyles only say they have a single "parent" without gender definitions. The gargoyle Kalibrus, who had befriended humans, admitted to being confused by human courting and reproduction.
Lor-wis-lem, a winged gargoyle in Ultima VI, claims to be over a thousand years old and nearing the end of his time, but still a mere youth when compared to the seer Naxatilor. This would suggest that gargoyles (or winged gargoyles, at least) have a much longer lifespan than a human.

It is unclear whether the Gargoyles that protect Lord British's Crown in Blackthorn's castle in Ultima V (and which can also be found in Hythloth) are the same Gargoyles as the ones described here. These Gargoyles, sometimes called Stone Gargoyles, look more like stone lions than Daemons. They do not resemble Sin'Vraal. They hurl stones at enemies, are very tough and split in combat as slimes do. Because of their great toughness, splitting is more powerful for these Gargoyles than it is for Slimes, since the new Slime is usually badly hurt and easily killed - not usually the case with Gargoyles. When killed they leave a pile of stone rubble. These may be the "wingless gargoyles" referred to above.

Stratics VeteranAlumni

The Stygian Abyss, situated on the south part of the Isle of the Avatar.... The darkest and most evil place in Britannia. In this outpost of darkness, nothing good can withstand. The Abyss is the antithesis of all good things, opposing all of the virtues at the same time. Dark creatures of unbelievable evil, Balron Lords, aggressive Dragons and numerous other monsters inhabit this hole of evil. Regardless how many times the whole Abyss is literally destroyed, evil always resurrects itself in a even worse form than before. Possible reason for the evil powers in the Abyss to resurrect themselves could be due the dimensional walls being thinner in Abyss than elsewhere in Britannia.

This makes the Abyss a place to be avoided at all costs, for only the most virtuous person won't forfeit their life as soon as he/she enters. Because the sheer evil of this place is known to suck the life out of people.

As the name implies, the Underworld lies deep within Britannia, a system of huge caves and tunnels. While the breeding ground for horrible monsters, it also had been the home of the Gargoyles.

In Ultima VI, the Underworld had mostly collapsed, causing the death of many gargoyles, and could only be reached through dungeon Hythloth. This time, the gargoyle city was visited. At the end, the gargoyles were evacuated from the Underworld. After that, the Underworld had completely collapsed and was no more.

Stratics VeteranAlumni

The Bell of Courage is not so much a item of great magical power, but more a symbol of the fear that true Courage can strike into the foes hearts with its loud ringing. The Bell is also a symbol for the principle of Courage.

The Bell of Courage was thought lost. The Stranger found it in Ultima IV in shallow waters, where later the island of Spektran would be. It was one of the keys to open the Abyss. It is not clear what happened to it after that, but most likely it was brought to Serpent's Hold, the castle of Courage.

In Ultima IX the Bell of Courage is found in the ruins of Serpent's Hold. It is needed to free Shamino from the Ethereal Void.

The Candle of Love is not so much a item of great magical power, although it will always renew itself, but more a symbol for the warmth that Love gives to someone's heart. It is also the Symbol for the principle of Love.

The Candle of Love was stored in the Temple of the Virtues in Cove, where the Stranger found it in Ultima IV. The Candle was one of the keys to open the Abyss. It is not entirely clear what happened to it after that, but most likely it was returned to Cove.

In Ultima IX the Candle of Love is found in the ruins of Empath Abbey and is needed to free Shamino from the Ethereal Void.

The Book of Truth of a item not so much of magic power, but of great symbolic value. While not like the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, the truth written within this book gives everyone a guide for an honest life. Also, the Book of Truth is the symbol for the principle of Truth.

The Book of Truth was found by the Stranger in Ultima IV in the library of the Lycaeum under the letter "T" for Truth. The Book was one of the three keys to open the Abyss. It is not clear what happened to the book afterwards, but it is most likely back in the Lycaeum.

In Ultima IX the Book of Truth is again found in the Lycaeum, and the Avatar is allowed to take it after he admit he is responsible for the evil that has befallen on Britannia. He later uses it to free Shamino from the Ethereal Void.

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